118 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



No. of Samples. 



1897. 1898. 



Moisture from 1 to 3 per cent., 10 9 



Moisture from 3 to 6 percent, 8 6 



Moisture from 6 to 10 per cent., 13 20 



Moisture from 10 to 15 per cent., 19 22 



Moisture from 15 to 20 per cent., 11 16 



Moisture from 20 to 30 per cent., 10 6 



Moisture cabove 35 per cent., 1 



Potassium oxide above 8 per cent., 3 4 



Potassium oxide from 7 to 8 per cent., .... 8 6 



Potassium oxide from 6 to 7 per cent., . . . .21 8 



Potassium oxide from 5 to 6 per cent., .... 28 22 



Potassium oxide from 4 to 5 per cent., .... 10 25 



Potassium oxide from 3 to 4 per cent., . . . . 3 11 



Potassium oxide below 3 i^er cent., - 3 



Phosphoric acid above 2 per cent., 4 6 



Phosphoric acid from 1 to 2 per cent., .... 45 60 



Phosphoric acid below 1 per cent., 24 13 



Average per cent, of calcium oxide (lime), . . 34.29 33.60 



f below 5, . . - 1 



I 6 to 10, . . 10 16 



Per cent, mineral matter insoluble in J 10 to 15, . .30 31 



diluted hydrochloric acid, from — i 15 to 20, . .15 15 



I 20 to 30, . . 3 13 

 I above 30, . . 1 - 



As the majority of dealers in wood ashes guarantee from 

 4.5 to G per cent, of potassium oxide in their articles, it 

 will be seen that a large number of the samples are below 

 even the lowest guarantee ; showing, on the whole, that the 

 quality of wood ashes sold in 1898 as a potash source has 

 lieen inferior, when compared with the preceding year. 

 Whether this circumstance is due to a general decline of 

 the article or to the management of any particular importer 

 or dealer is difficult to decide on our part, as long as farmers 

 do not state the name of the party from whom they have 

 bought, or the cost per ton of the ashes they send on for 

 examination. 



It is most desirable to ascertain whether the general char- 

 acter of the w^ood ashes is gradually declining from natural 

 causes, or whether some parties are handling inferior goods. 

 All interested in the solution of this question will confer a 

 favor on us by sending with their samples of wood ashes the 

 names of the party from Avhom they bought the article, and 



